diff --git a/core/utilitiesMisc.go b/core/utilitiesMisc.go
index 690ceed..9bee40f 100644
--- a/core/utilitiesMisc.go
+++ b/core/utilitiesMisc.go
@@ -37,7 +37,10 @@ func EntryRefresh(oldRCWPassphrase, newRCWPassphrase []byte, removeOldDir bool)
 				return errors.New("unable to refresh entries: \"" + global.EntryRoot + "-old\" already exists")
 			}
 		}
-		os.RemoveAll(global.EntryRoot + dirEnd)
+		err := os.RemoveAll(global.EntryRoot + dirEnd)
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.New("unable to remove \"" + global.EntryRoot + dirEnd + "\": " + err.Error())
+		}
 	}
 
 	// create output directory structure (global.EntryRoot + "-new"/*)
diff --git a/libmuttonserver.go b/libmuttonserver.go
index 3fa4401..8034183 100644
--- a/libmuttonserver.go
+++ b/libmuttonserver.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ func main() {
 	case "fetch":
 		// print all information needed for syncing to stdout for interpretation by the client
 		// stdin[0] is expected to be the device ID
-		_ = syncserver.GetRemoteDataFromServer(stdin[0])
+		syncserver.GetRemoteDataFromServer(stdin[0])
 	case "rename":
 		// move an entry to a new location before using fallthrough to add its previous iteration to the deletions directory
 		// stdin[0] is evaluated after fallthrough
diff --git a/syncserver/server.go b/syncserver/server.go
index a9f55af..8bc3e3b 100644
--- a/syncserver/server.go
+++ b/syncserver/server.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package syncserver
 
 import (
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
@@ -14,16 +13,10 @@ import (
 // GetRemoteDataFromServer prints to stdout the remote entries, mod times, folders, and deletions.
 // Lists in output are separated by FSSpace.
 // Output is meant to be captured over SSH for interpretation by the client.
-func GetRemoteDataFromServer(clientDeviceID string) error {
-	entryList, dirList, err := synccommon.WalkEntryDir()
-	if err != nil {
-		return errors.New("unable to walk entry directory: " + err.Error())
-	}
+func GetRemoteDataFromServer(clientDeviceID string) {
+	entryList, dirList, _ := synccommon.WalkEntryDir()
 	modList := synccommon.GetModTimes(entryList)
-	deletionsList, err := os.ReadDir(global.ConfigDir + global.PathSeparator + "deletions")
-	if err != nil {
-		return errors.New("unable to read deletions directory: " + err.Error())
-	}
+	deletionsList, _ := os.ReadDir(global.ConfigDir + global.PathSeparator + "deletions")
 
 	// print the current UNIX timestamp to stdout
 	fmt.Print(time.Now().Unix())
@@ -60,5 +53,4 @@ func GetRemoteDataFromServer(clientDeviceID string) error {
 			_ = os.Remove(global.ConfigDir + global.PathSeparator + "deletions" + global.PathSeparator + deletion.Name()) // error ignored; function not run from a user-facing argument and thus the error would not be visible
 		}
 	}
-	return nil
 }